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23 Feb Niche Market Fable

Here is a Niche Market Fable About the American Dipper

Long, long ago, in the mythical lore of how everything began, the birds gathered to choose careers.

One by one, each species chose a job that matched its size and abilities.

Finally, after all the ordinary jobs had been taken, this small bird raised a wing.

“I want to dive head first into cold, fast-moving rivers. Then I’ll walk on the bottom catching larva, bugs, and other small critters.”

All inhaled in surprise.

Not a peep could be heard as they weighed this absurd idea.

Then the Great Feathered One said, “Done.”

So now, if you go out to a fast-moving, shallow river in the West, you might see an American Dipper.

They’re fun to watch as they dive in the water, disappear for a while, and then pop out – often returning to the rock they left.

Of course, they can be challenging to find since they spend much of their time under water.

Worldwide there are five species of Dippers. They have a patchy distribution, appearing in Europe, Asia, small areas in North Africa and the Middle East, and some western areas of North plus South America.

This photo was taken January 2016, in Zion National Park, Utah, when the water temperature was 38 F (about 3 C).

As you might expect, this was the only bird out there. That’s because there’s no competition when you work in a niche market.